Bathtub elevator



y 17, 1956 G. E. BRUCKNER ET AL 2,

BATHTUB ELEVATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 14, 1954 Carmen B. See/Inger INVENTORS BY @403.

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BATHTUB ELEVATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 14, 1954 5 Wm u I .1 07m W o w M m 1 E h r e 6. wn M mm 9 8& v B H 0 w n e m k m m m 6 w w 9 mm R fi I L United States Patent O BATHTUB ELEVATOR Grace E. Bruckner, Greeley, Colo., and Glenn H. Seellnger and Carmen B. Seelinger, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 14, 1954, Serial No. 436,662

2 Claims. (Cl. 4-185) This invention relates to an elevator adapted to be used in combination with a bathtub for facilitating the bathing of elderly persons, the handicapped, semi-invalids or for the therapeutic treatment of invalids and for use in hospitals, nursing, convalescent and private homes, wherever there are handicapped persons in one degree or another. Furthermore, the invention is adapted for use of mothers with small children to bathe and eliminates ditficulties present in the lifting in and out of the tub of chubby, heavy youngsters be they healthy, handicapped or crippled.

One of the most difficult things in the care of a bedridden, handicapped or elderly patient, or person, is the proper cleansing of the patient so as to render the person more comfortable. No matter how elderly or handicapped, the patient needs and longs for the cleansing joy and relaxation of a tub bath. This invention makes a tub bath possible, solves the difficulty of transferring the patient even from a wheel chair or the like to the bathtub by providing a platform positioned and anchored at approximately the height of a bathtub onto which the patient can be safely positioned with great facility; and, utilizing the invention, the patient or bather, elderly or young, may then be lowered into the water in the bathtub comfortably and safely; thus eliminating all danger of falling or slipping of invalid, semi-invalid, handicapped patient, or elderly or child bather.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a bathtub elevator which employs no cables or like equipment which extend any substantial distance above the edge of the bathtub on the side where the patient is deposited on the platform, thus assuring an easy transfer from a wheel chair to the platform of the bathtub elevator.

One of the advantages of the invention resides in the arrangement of parts whereby the platform, frame and cables may be removed from the tub-and stored so that the bathtub may be used without the mechanism.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in the provision of a bathtub elevator which employs a hydraulic jack for use in providing the means for raising and lowering the patient, thus assuring against accidents by providing a positive means for raising and lowering the patient, which is strong and durable, which utilizes the patients own Weight for the lowering of the patient into the water utilizing the hydraulic jack, and which is relatively inexpensive to construct, thereby permitting wide distribution.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this bathtub elevator, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the bathtub elevator in combination with a bathtub;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the invention;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the invention illustrating the arrangement of cables and pulleys in greatest detail; and

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the clamp means used for lockingly holding the platform in a raised position. a

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral 10 generally designates a platform of conventional construction which may be provided with a rim 12 to which a support 14 is adapted to be secured. The support 14 can be formed from a suitable angle member 16 to which clamp bars 18 have been attached in which threaded clamp members 20 are adjustably positioned for engagement with the rim 12. Obviously, this invention may be used in conjunction with various types and models of bathtubs.

Forming a part of the support 14 and overlying the end 22 of the bathtub 10 as well as 'a portion of the adjacent side thereof is a plate 24 on which a hydraulic jack 26 having a relief valve 27 is secured. The hydraulic jack 26 is operated by a lever 28 and has a piston rod 30 which has a bifurcated portion 32 carrying a pulley 34. An eye or hook 36 of any convenient construction is secured to the plate 24 and one end of a cable 40 is attached thereto, the cable 40 being entrained over the pulley 34 and being secured on a drum 42. The drum 42 is mounted on a shaft 44 which is journaled in any suitable number of bearing blocks 46 which are bolted or otherwise secured to the support 14.

Mounted on the shaft 14 are pulleys 50 and 52 over which cables 54 and 56 at entrained.

A platform 58 is provided and may consist of a tubular frame, as at 60, on which the slatted platform 58 rides or is attached, the spaced slats 62 being especially adapted to permit the water to drain from the platform as it is raised and to further facilitate quick drying thereof so that the platform does not become a seat for fungus or bacteria. Secured to the corners of tubular frame 60 are bifurcated members 64 which carry pulleys 66. The cables 54 and 56 engage the pulleys 66 and are secured at their other ends to hooks or other suitable members 68 attached to members 70 which are adapted to detachably engage over the rim 12 of the bathtub 10.

Secured to the platform 58 are clamps 72 which include a substantially U-shaped body 74 having gripping portions 76 at the upper ends thereof. A cam actuated member 78 is engaged over the U-shaped member 70 so as to lockingly urge the gripping portions 76 together. The central connecting portion 80 of the U-shaped members may be pivotally secured to the frame 60 of the platform 58 or engaged thereabout, and when the platform is in the raised position shown in the dotted lines in Figure 3, the engaging portions 76 of the clamps 72 can engage the cables 54 and 56 to lockingly hold the platform 58 substantially motionless so that an invalid or elderly person can be placed on the platform 58 with great facility. Then, the jack 26 can be actuated to permit the weight of the patient to lower the platform and the patient into the Water in the tub. When it is desired to raise the patient, the jack 26 can then again be actuated, and after the platform has reached its upper position, the clamps 72 can again be engaged to hold the platform 58 motionless until the patient has been removed.

It is to be recognized that actuation of the jack 26 causes rotation of the shaft 44 by the action of the cable 40 on the drum 42. This, in turn, causes the cables 54 and 56 to wind on the pulleys 50 and 52 so as to raise the platform 58.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A bathtub elevator in combination with a bathtub comprising a support adapted to seat on said bathtub, a jack on said support, a shaft journaled on said support, winding drums on said shaft, a drum on said shaft, a cable on said drum engaging said jack so that upon operation of said jack, said shaft will be rotated, a platform, and other cables secured to said bathtub engaging said platform and being entrained about said winding drums, and clamp means secured to said platform lockingly engaging said cable to hold said platform substantially motionless when in a raised position.

2. A bathtub elevator in combination with a bathtub comprising a support adapted to seat on said bathtub, a jack on said support, a shaft journaled on said support, winding drums on said shaft, a drum on said shaft, a

cable on said drum engaging said jack so that upon operation of said jack, said shaft will be rotated, a platform, and other cables secured to said bathtub engaging said platform and being entrained about said winding drums, pulleys on said platform, said other cables engaging said pulleys, said support being detachably clampingly secured to said bathtub, said support overlying a side and one end of said bathtub, said jack being positioned adjacent the corner portion of said bathtub formed by said side and said end of said bathtub, and clamp means secured to said platform lockingly engaging said cable to hold said platform substantially motionless when in a raised position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS l,223,74l Schwister Apr. 24, 1917 2,624,053 Beckwith Jan. 6, 1953 2,624,546 Haumerson Jan. 6, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 659,242 Great Britain Oct. 17, 1951 

